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Thursday, June 29, 2017

Congratulations to Collier County Public Schools Superintendent Kamela Patton, principals, teachers, school staffs, District administrators and School Board members!CCPS is again an “A”-rated Florida school district. Of note from the school grades released this week, Collier County Public Schools:

Ranked 5th highest of 67 districts in the state, an increase from 14th in 2016 and 33rd in 2011;

Was among only 11 “A”-rated districts in the state (see districts in green in map below);

Had the second highest year-over-year improvement measured by points earned in 11 areas of student success that include achievement, learning gains, middle school accreditation, graduation rate, and college and career acceleration;

Had 46% of its schools earning an “A”; 74% earning an “A” or a “B”;

Had 17 schools improve one or more letter grades;

Had four schools increase two letter grades: Estates, Palmetto and Shadowlawn Elementary Schools from “C”s to “A”s; Immokalee Community School from “D” to “B”;

Had no schools with a decrease in grades; and

Had no “F” schools.

Click image to hear Dr. Patton’s message

The District attributed the results to “the hard work and commitment of students, teachers, administrators, District staff, and strong community support. A focus on progress monitoring and ongoing adjustments to instruction are integral to overall student achievement.”

Read the District’s full Assessment Brief, with individual school grades and comparisons to last year here, and the Naples Daily News article here. For more CCPS test results, click here.

Florida’s 67 Districts
2017 School Grades

Florida’s school grading system focuses on measures of student success according to Florida law and rules adopted by the State Board of Education. Read more on the Department of Education School Grades web page here.
Florida’s 11 “A”-rated school districts are: Brevard, Collier, Gilchrist, Martin, Nassau, Okaloosa, St. Johns, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole and Wakulla.

The success or failure of a school district lies with the skill and leadership of its Superintendent. As a Collier voter, it is important that you remember that in Collier County, the Superintendent is hired by our five elected School Board members. If you are happy with this year’s District report card, take a minute and let them and Dr. Patton know!

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

In Part 1 of this series of recap posts, I took a high-level look at the roughly $82 billion FY 2018 state budget passed by the Legislature on May 8th. It included K–12 funding of $20 billion, up just 1.2% over the current year, which equated to per-student funding of $7,220.72, up just 0.3%.

I also described the sweeping $419 million education policy overhaul bill (HB 7069) that was cobbled together over a long weekend behind closed doors in the session's final days. That bill was championed by House Speaker Corcoran, a strong proponent of “school choice.”

While that bill passed easily in the House, it was a tough sell in the Senate. In addition to strong objections to portions of the bill, the way the bill was cobbled together in secret attracted national attention.

Instead of carefully considering education proposals one at a time, Republican leaders went behind closed doors to cram 35 different proposals — rules on everything from sunscreen use to charter-schools incentives — into a single, 278-page, take-it-or-leave-it bill unveiled at the last minute. For me to simply reprint the bill, it would take 75 columns this size … and you still wouldn’t get to the part where legislators want to siphon money away from traditional schools until column No. 46.

House Speaker
Richard Corcoran

To get his bill passed, Corcoran agreed to deliver the House’s votes on Negron’s number two priority, SB 374, a higher education bill meant to “help certain state universities attain ‘elite’ status, while putting community colleges back in their place.” (Negron had already gotten his top priority, a controversial new reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee, in another closed-door deal. More here.) It was a classic quid pro quo arrangement.

Ultimately HB 7069 passed the Senate by just one vote., with three Republicans, including the chair of the Senate Education Budget Committee, voting against it.

When the Legislature adjourned on May 8, Corcoran and Negron were happy, but the Governor was not. His priorities had been soundly ignored. He wanted $7,421 per student for K-12 public school funding; he got just under $7,221. He wanted $76 million for his VISIT Florida tourism marketing agency; he got $25 million. And he wanted $85 million for his Enterprise Florida economic development organization; he got $16 million.

When Part 1 of this Session recap was published last month, it was clear that another deal was needed, and that with his veto pen, Scott had the upper hand. In Part 2 on May 22, I summarized the major education policies that, along with the budget, awaited the Governor’s signature and urged readers to weigh in.

Senate President
Joe Negron

On June 2, after “several days of backstage negotiations mostly involving Corcoran, Scott and their top staff members,” at a hastily convened press conference with Corcoran and Negron at his side, Scott announced that agreement had been reached. After signing the 2017-18 budget and vetoing the entire public education budget and $410 million in local projects, he called a special session of the Legislature for June 7 to 9 “to fight for students and jobs.”

Going in to that session, Scott wanted another $100 per student for K-12 education, a total of $76 million for VISIT Florida, and $85 million for a new Florida Job Growth Grant Fund. Corcoran wanted Scott to sign his charter-friendly HB 7069. And Negron wanted him to sign his sweeping higher education SB 374.

When it was over, Scott got what he wanted, Corcoran got what he wanted, and Negron was left out in the cold.

Scott vetoed Negron’s higher education bill, saying it would “impede” progress at state colleges by boosting Florida’s universities at the expense of community-based schools. More here.

Florida Senate President Joe Negron so badly wanted his top priority this year that he failed to do what citizens expect of the Legislature's upper chamber: stop bad things from happening. Until now, the Senate has been the more-measured chamber, the adult in the room that kept an important check on the upstart House, whose members too often walk in lockstep on extreme proposals.And sometimes, doing the right thing means being willing to sacrifice your pet project.But after securing his first priority of the session — a new reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee — Negron fiercely sought his second: a sweeping higher education bill meant to help certain state universities attain "elite" status, while putting community colleges back in their place.To secure Senate Bill 374, Negron made a bad gamble on the session's last day. He agreed to push his chamber to pass House Speaker Richard Corcoran's pet project: House Bill 7069, a bill to further privatize public education, tied with a bow of elementary school recess and teacher bonuses.

In the end, “Negron got outplayed,” wrote the Sun Sentinel. “His leadership mantle is shaken.

"And all this matters because our public schools are about to pay the price.”

Thursday, June 1, 2017

May was a busy month for our elected officials. At month-end, the School Board was sued by three parents and the Florida Citizens Alliance over its textbook selections. Earlier in the month, the Board heard public comments in support of a local charter school and began considering next year’s budget.

The County Commission discussed major road and building projects, whether to purchase a significant parcel of land, and whether to raise the tourist tax. Naples City Council is debating the ethics of one of its members, and it too, has a major building project to consider.

The Florida Legislature completed its 2017 session, with House and Senate leaders criticized for both what they did and how they did it. With term-limits triggered next year, races to succeed the Governor and the three Cabinet members got underway.

With all that is happening, how are busy Collier voters, many who are out of town for the summer, to keep up?

This post is my attempt to help. It's the first in what could become a new series called Sparker's Soapbox Month in Review. It was inspired by a narrowly-focused daily email I receive about one small aspect of national news. By reading it and some of the news stories it references, I feel well informed on its topic. I wondered if I could do something similar that is narrowly focused on our local and state elected officials and the issues and decisions they face.

Throughout May, I clipped articles and web posts about the Collier County School Board and District, the Board of Collier County Commissioners, the Naples City Council, the Florida Governor and Legislature, and upcoming state and local elections. I also clipped Naples Daily News editorials that provided meaningful relevant commentary. In the last days of the month, I pared down and organized what I'd collected. My goal was to publish a summary of top stories for Collier voters on the first of June.

I certainly can’t guarantee I found everything that is relevant, but I hope what I did find is informative.

With that -- here's Sparker's Soapbox Month in Review for May 2017.

Top stories: Collier County Public Schools

Three parents and Florida Citizens Alliance sue the Collier County School Board over textbooks slated for public school classrooms next fall. The suit calls for an "emergency injunction" on the books and the School Board's selection process for violating state transparency laws and education standards. (Naples Daily News 05/31/17)

Florida Citizens Alliance Objections to Textbooks to be Heard at Special School Board Meeting June 1st. Florida Citizens Alliance is a "self-professed constitutionalism group" whose issues are the Second Amendment and local control of public education. (Sparker's Soapbox 5/25/17)

CCPS critics believe textbook review committees were stacked to promote progressive ideas in history, economics and the law. School officials say the committees reflect who applied and that neither party affiliation nor political leanings were considered when selecting members. (Brent Batten, Naples Daily News 5/22/17)

Florida’s Auditor General calls Collier schools ‘best in state’ on internal controls and FEFP compliance. The senior lead auditor who conducted the District’s last three audits routinely uses the District’s processes and procedures as the model when conducting statewide training. (Kamela Patton, Guest Commentary, Naples Daily News 5/14/17)

Thirteen Collier schools will have new principals in the fall. The retirement of Deputy Superintendent David Stump provides an opportunity to restructure the District leadership team to support new principals and offer more ongoing professional development. (CCPS Press Release 5/16/17; Naples Daily News 5/23/17)

A large crowd of Mason Classical Academy supporters turned out for the May 9 School Board meeting. They urged the Board to renew its charter, which expires June 30, in over an hour of public comments before the business portion of the meeting. (Video-on-Demand 5/9/17)

Top stories: Board of Collier County Commissioners

Decision on $60 - $80 million sports complex likely at June County Commission meeting. The project seems to have support from a majority of commissioners, but how it will be funded is more controversial. (Naples Daily News 5/3/17; Naples Herald 5/24/17)

County resumes long-delayed plans to extend Vanderbilt Beach Road. It will need to buy rights-of-way from dozens of homeowners in the six to eight miles between where the road ends now, just east of Collier Boulevard, and the project’s end. Expected completion in 2023, at a cost of about $60 million. (Naples Daily News 5/5/17)

Collier Commission votes 4-1 to end temporary ban on medical marijuana dispensaries October 10. Commissioner Bill McDaniel dissented, saying the moratorium should end immediately. Proposed regulations will be vetted during public meetings this summer. (Naples Daily News 5/9/17)

An 18-story, 300-unit mixed use project with a 75-slip marina proposed near Vanderbilt Beach in North Naples. It would replace several buildings, most more than 30 years old, and require a rezoning and growth plan amendment. (Naples Daily News 5/16/17; Naples Daily News 5/18/17)

County loses lawsuit against CVS and landlord over eminent domain; commissioners to consider appeal. A win would let the County recoup some of the $6.5 million it paid CVS and its landlord for taking away 11 parking spaces to widen a road, and could drastically reduce the cost to taxpayers of eminent domain for years to come. (Naples Daily News 5/22/17; Brent Batten, Naples Daily News 5/29/17)

HHH Ranch owners offer Collier County 1,010 acres in exchange for mining proceeds. The ranch is three miles east of Collier Boulevard and north of I-75/Alligator Alley. Commissioners will get two appraisals of the property as a first step in considering the proposal. (Naples Daily News 5/25/17)

Lawyers ditch Everglades City's troubles with water, sewage plants, citing "irreconcilable differences" with city leaders. Will the County have to take over? and at what cost? (Naples Daily News 5/26/17)

County to take back Goodland Drive from the City of Marco Island, but repairs still years away. The road floods substantially during the rainy season and has been a public safety concern for years. Construction could begin in 2020, but a budget for it has not yet been approved. (Naples Daily News 5/28/17)

Collier officials soon to decide on room tax, beach aid, advertising, sports complex. On June 13, Commissioners will revisit how they spend the roughly $20 million the county collects every year from a sales tax on overnight stays. (Naples Daily News 5/30/17)

Collier NAACP files an ethics complaint against Councilman Saad, saying he violated Florida Bar rules when he voted to approve a development project in the City’s River Park neighborhood. (Naples Daily News 5/24/17)

Naples design board OKs plan for 118-room hotel at Third Street Plaza. The project would replace the >25-year-old plaza often described as an eyesore. It requires final approval by the Naples City Council. (Naples Daily News 5/24/17)

Top stories: 2018 state elections

The biggest financial backers to-date of candidates running for governor in 2018. (Tampa Bay Times 5/18/17)

Top Naples Daily News Editorials

'Local control' may be House without home. The House voted 68-48 for House Bill 843 by Naples state Reps. Byron Donalds and Bob Rommel. Thankfully the misguided bill didn’t pass. (Naples Daily News 5/4/17)

Goodland Drive, ATV Park: numbers may not add up on beneficial deals. When government agencies fail to strike a deal, the cost of that failure affects everyday citizens who see promises broken by public officials or people’s well-being caught up in a political tug-of-war. (Naples Daily News 5/11/17)

Two state formulas need revision to help replenish Florida beaches. The $50 million the Legislature and Gov. Scott agreed to spend for beach projects in the 2017-18 state budget isn’t nearly enough to address the state’s extreme coastal erosion problem. (Naples Daily News 5/17/17)

There's no emergency to merge Collier fire districts with ambulance service. The desirable goal is a patient who has received thoughtful, progressive care -- not rushed, emergency treatment. This is a case where it’s good to be waiting for the ambulance. (Naples Daily News 5/18/17)

What do you think? Did reading this post make you a more informed voter? Would you like to read something similar weekly, bi-weekly or monthly?